Free Internet Access Coming to Chapel Hill Public Housing

The Town of Chapel Hill is bringing a first-of-its-kind experiment to public housing.

The Internet has opened up a whole new world during its evolution over the last two decades.

Many of us think of it as a necessity in this day and age.

But a survey conducted by the Town of Chapel Hill in 2014 found that, of the residents with school-age children in public housing units in the town, one in four did not have access to the internet.

Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt says that is going to change.

“The town has partnered with AT&T to offer free standard internet service to go live over the course of the next year in the following Chapel Hill neighborhoods,” he says, “Airport Gardens, Church Street/Caldwell, Colony Woods West, Eastwood – my neighbors, North Columbia, Pritchard Park, Rainbow Heights, and South Estes.”

Not only is the town partnering with AT&T, Mayor Kleinschmidt says a local non-profit is also being brought in to the party.

“The town has partnered with the Kramden Institute to launch a Chapel Hill digital literacy program,” he says. “This is a four-part class on the basics of using computers. Those classes are open to all public housing residents age 14 and up.

“Everyone who completes the program will receive a free laptop thanks to the generous donation of the Kramden Institute.”

AT&T representative Robert Doreauk spoke to the nearly 100 Chapel Hillians gathered on a beautiful morning outside of the Chapel Hill Community Center on South Estes Drive. He says that this is a one-of-a-kind partnership in the US.

“It is something that is needed for success of every individual, and every individual no matter where you live,” he says. “Students at Airport Gardens need internet access to complete homework assignments. Job applicants in Eastwood need internet access to find that next opportunity. Patients here at South Estes need internet access to correspond with their medical providers.”

As the presentation finished up, a line immediately formed as residents stood waiting for their turn to sign up for the courses that will be offered by the Kramden Institute.

Kramden’s Michael Abensour says that for the last decade they have been working on getting laptops to those in the most need.

“For years that meant getting in donated computers, refurbishing them, and awarding them to students across the state,” he says. “These computers go directly into the homes of students who don’t have a computer, and who have never had access to it.”

By bringing in the hardware from Kramden and the connectivity from AT&T to Chapel Hill’s public housing units, Kleinschmidt says this is a huge step toward closing the digital divide.